Lemkin Family Presses Pennsylvania Over Genocide Institute’s Use of Name 

By The Media Line Staff 

Relatives of Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jewish legal scholar who coined the term “genocide,” and the European Jewish Association are pressing Pennsylvania officials to investigate the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention over its use of Lemkin’s name and its accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. 

The dispute centers on a Pennsylvania-registered nonprofit that says it works on genocide prevention and human security. Critics say the group has used Lemkin’s name to lend moral authority to anti-Israel claims. The institute has rejected the allegations and described the campaign against it as political. 

The Algemeiner first reported that Joseph Lemkin, a relative of Raphael Lemkin, and the European Jewish Association asked Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and the state Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations to examine whether the group was improperly using Lemkin’s name. The request reportedly seeks action under state charitable law, not only public criticism of the institute’s positions. 

The Washington Free Beacon later reported that more than 100 Holocaust and genocide scholars signed a letter supporting the Lemkin family’s objections, arguing that the institute’s use of the Lemkin name distorts the legacy of a Zionist Holocaust survivor who helped shape the Genocide Convention. 

The Lemkin Institute accused Israel of genocide shortly after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which terrorists killed about 1,200 people and abducted more than 250. Israel has strongly denied genocide allegations, saying its campaign in Gaza is a war of self-defense against Hamas. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel remains before the International Court of Justice, which has issued provisional measures but has not made a final ruling on the merits. 

Any attempt to revoke the institute’s federal tax-exempt status would face a high legal bar. The Internal Revenue Service controls federal 501(c)(3) status, while Pennsylvania’s charity bureau oversees state charitable registration and solicitation rules. Advocacy, even sharply disputed advocacy, does not by itself usually cost a nonprofit its tax exemption. 

Brought to you by www.srnnews.com